Military, Veteran and Family Member Programs
“Honor, Guide and Serve Those Who’ve Served.”
This site provides the DOS Military, Veteran and Family Members with critical information and resources for our nation’s military spouses. This includes direct points of contact that allow military spouses to pursue world-class career opportunities and fellowships from anywhere in the world. The Department of State is committed to hiring a diverse workforce which includes highly skilled and educated military spouses. The Department of State also works closely with internal Employee Organizations who directly advocate and support military spouses within the workforce.
Veterans Support Program (VSP)
The Department of State’s Veteran Support Program (VSP) is a new program and the first ever VSP established at Department level to guide military Veterans, current Reservists/National Guard, their families and spouses to the help and benefits afforded them by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and as a result of their status as a federal government employee and their service and sacrifice to our nation. The VSP is a one-stop-shop which supports the unique needs of both our military and Veteran State employees and their families around the globe. Please email the VSP via our internal email exchange if you are a new employee and seeking to learn more. Please know that this program is internal to the Department and does not answer nor mitigate matters in relation to non-Department employees.
Veterans Employment Program Manager (VEPM)
To further support the Veterans Employment Initiative, the U.S. Department of State launched the Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP) Fellows Program, a public-private alliance platform that serves America’s veterans and separating service members by preparing them for diplomacy and development careers through a one-year fellowship experience.
On November 9, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government. This E.O. established the Council on Veterans Employment to advise and assist the President and the Director of OPM in coordinating a government-wide effort to increase the number of veterans employed by the Federal Government within the Executive Branch. The Council serves as a national forum for promoting veterans’ employment opportunities in the executive branch.
Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Military Families
State Department and DoD Overseas Telework Memorandum of Agreement
The Department of State and Department of Defense (DoD) made great strides to advance equitable and inclusive efforts for recruitment and retention of military spouses. After many years of interagency advocacy, the State Department and DoD signed a memorandum of agreement at the White House on April 17, 2024, which will streamline the approval process for military and DoD spouses seeking overseas telework arrangements while federally employed with the Executive Branch. The Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) memorandum supports those who are federally employed with the Executive Branch and have military spouses to be able to maintain their careers, keep their families together, and telework.
To read more about the memorandum, check out the White House Press Release for more information.
For any questions, review the 3 FAM 2370 Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) as it provides in-depth information and guidance related to DETO positions, such as the definition of a DETO, eligibility requirements and establishing a DETO arrangement, and much more.
On May 9, 2018, President Trump signed a new executive order to promote and increase military spouse hiring across the federal government as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to support military families.
Executive Order #13473 “Military Spouse Non-competitive Appointing Authority” from 2009 allows agencies to appoint certain military spouses without competition. The authority does not entitle spouses to an appointment over any other applicant. Questions and Answers on the noncompetitive appointments of Military Spouses can be found here. An installation’s Military and Family Support Center is a good place to start for anything from local recreational opportunities to a personalized introduction to installation services including spouse career and employment opportunities, personal financial management classes, activities for children and families, military spouse resources and more. If you are a military spouse interested in education and career opportunities, please visit www.militaryonesource.mil. If you are a military spouse and interested in a career at the U.S. Department of State, please contact our Veteran Employment Program Manager at vets@state.gov.
To learn more about the State Department’s various career opportunities, you can contact our Recruitment Outreach Specialist, Faisal Khan at KhanFM@state.gov or visit Careers@state.gov. If there are any other questions, please contact the U.S. Department of State Veterans Employment Program Manager (VEPM), Sean Lenahan at vets@state.gov .
Veterans@State Employee Organization
Formed in 2014, Veterans@State adds to the agency’s diverse and inclusive workforce by highlighting the unique skill sets, backgrounds, and esprit de corps that our approximately 7,000 Veteran employees (which includes civil service (CS), foreign service (FS), personal services contractors (PSCs), and third-party contractors (TPCs) offer worldwide.
The mission of the Veterans at State employee affinity group is to be a professional association that supports military Veterans at the U.S. Department of State. The Veterans at State employee affinity group is a link between military Veterans at the Department, the Department’s diversity management program, human resources staff, and senior management. The Veterans at State employee affinity group strives to promote the full and equal participation of the estimated 7,100 military Veterans Department-wide, participating in community service activities, improving military Veteran awareness, advocating for the rights of military Veterans by providing a forum for information exchange, assisting in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of military Veterans, and developing the leadership abilities of military Veterans at the Department of State. If there are any questions, please email veterans@state.gov.
Military/DoD Family Employee Organization
The Military/DoD Family Employee Organization strives to help the U.S. Department of State (“the Department”) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) better attract and retain an agile, skilled, and representative workforce by developing creative, inclusive solutions to the unique challenges facing military/DoD spouses and their families. Retaining the best employees and staying competitive in today’s dynamic work environment requires the U.S. government to invest in its employees and ensure they can balance their work and personal lives. The Military/DoD Family Employee Organization seeks to represent the interests of military/DoD spouse employees by providing a forum for discussing issues impacting them and advocating for policies that consider military/DoD spouse interests and contributions. The group seeks to ensure these employees and their families are protected from discrimination in employment and benefits on the basis of their status as military/DoD spouses. We strive to promote diversity in the U.S. government by fostering the inclusion of military/DoD employees at all ranks and in all areas of the foreign affairs community; to provide these employees and their families with the support and guidance they need to have fulfilling careers and lives in public service; and to support and encourage efforts by the U.S. government to advance and defend the diversity, equity, and inclusion of this community. For more information, please contact militaryspouseandfamilyboarderg@usaid.gov